MONGOLIA LEARNS COLUMBIA AND ECUADOR’S EXPERIENCES IN ARTISANAL MINING

Ulaanbaatar/MONTSAME/ Since 2005, Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) have been implementing Sustainable Artisanal Mining (SAM) project. The project aims to improve legal environment for artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) supply chain and to support exchange of international knowledge and experience. As part of this work, SDC supported the Mongolian government to conduct a study tour to Colombia and Ecuador to learn from best practices and lessons learned on formalizing ASM supply chain on May 19-30. Mongolia’s study team consisted of MPs S.Byambatsogt, A.Sukhbat, and L.Enkhbold, and officials from the Ministry of Mining and Heavy Industry, the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Agency, the Bank of Mongolia, Precious Metal Assay Inspection Department, Governor of Bayankhongor aimag, ASM National Federation and SAM Project. In Columbia, the Mongolian delegates met with all key stakeholders in the gold supply chain including Ministry of Mining and Energy of Colombia, National Mining Agency, Ministry of Trade and Industry, National Mining Association, Tri Cargo, a gold exporter, and Alloy, a gold refiner. Colombia has liberalized its gold trading and all activities of gold supply chain including assaying, refining, buying and exporting are done by Colombian private sector which is very different from Mongolia. The Mongolian delegates were introduced about Columbia’s efforts and activities to formalise ASM sector and improve transparency of supply chain. Mr. Carlos Cante, Vice Minister of Mining of Colombia, said that they are working on the formalisation of the supply chain, registration and transparency of the gold supply system, particularly an online registration system. The use of this system is crucial for preventing illegal gold mining to enter the formal supply chain and promoting transparent source of the gold. Afterwards, the Mongolian delegates visited Ecuador, met with Ministry of Mines, Central Bank, National Institute of Geology, Mining and Metallurgy and visited Technical University and remote ASM site. Ecuadorian Central bank purchases gold for its reserve which is similar to Mongolia’s current system. However, the Country also allows large producers to export their gold to international markets. Additionally, the Central Bank is piloting a gold purchase in local ASM area, which is what Mongolia is currently implementing. The delegates then visited province of Loja, a key mining region in Ecuador, where they learned about work and activities of Technical University of Loja on providing trainings to local residents to improve their capacity and facilitate them to employment opportunities in the industrial mining. The tour was concluded by visiting the Nambija ASM site where the delegates met with local artisanal miners’ group. Source: Sustainable Artisanal Mining Project